KAKISTOCRACY (noun) — Government by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous people.
In Their Own Words

Quotes

A searchable collection of documented public statements from people covered by the Kakistocracy Files.

5,728Total Quotes in the Archive
AllAlex JonesAlina HabbaAndrew ClydeAnn CoulterAnthony ScaramucciBill BarrBrendan CarrByron DonaldsCharlie KirkChristine O’DonnellChuck GrassleyCorey LewandowskiDan BonginoDonald TrumpDonald Trump Jr.Doug BurgumElise StefanikElon MuskEnrique TarrioEric TrumpGeorge SantosGreg GutfeldHerschel WalkerHillary ClintonHope HicksHoward LutnickIvanka TrumpJack PosobiecJacob ChansleyJames ComerJames ComeyJD VanceJeanine PirroJenna EllisJesse WattersJim JordanJohn EastmanJosh HawleyKari LakeKaroline LeavittKash PatelKayleigh McEnanyKellyanne ConwayKimberly GuilfoyleKristi NoemLaura LoomerLauren BoebertLindsey GrahamLouie GohmertMadison CawthornMarco RubioMarjorie Taylor GreeneMark RobinsonMatt GaetzMehmet OzMichael CohenMichael FlynnMike JohnsonMike LindellMike PenceMo BrooksNancy MaceNewt GingrichPam BondiPaul GosarPete HegsethPeter NavarroRick ScottRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Roger StoneRon DeSantisRon JohnsonRonna McDanielRoy MooreRudy GiulianiRussell VoughtSarah Huckabee SandersSean HannitySean SpicerSebastian GorkaSharron AngleSidney PowellStephanie GrishamStephen MillerSteve BannonSteve KingSteve ScaliseTed NugentTim ScottTom HomanTommy TubervilleTucker CarlsonTulsi GabbardVivek Ramaswamy
161 quotes from Russell Vought
“The next administration serves everyday Americans instead of being woke and weaponized against them.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought's characterization of his preferred direction for a future administration.
Project 2025 coalition statement
“We are writing the actual executive orders.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought described advance preparations for implementing policies under a future Trump administration.
ProPublica / Documented
“I'd hope that would be their suspicion.”
— Russell Vought
January 16, 2025   •   Vought responded after Senator Bernie Moreno suggested voters would expect the president, rather than unnamed bureaucrats, to control executive policy.
Senate OMB confirmation hearing
“We believe the president has the authority to control the executive branch.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026
Public remarks
“Block funding for fetal tissue research.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“I would probably be Christian nation-ism.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024   •   Vought discussing how he describes his political and religious philosophy.
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“The budget proposes a 10% cut to non-defense compared to 2026 levels.”
— Russell Vought
April 15, 2026
House Budget Committee
“We have to dismantle the administrative state.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought describing his policy objective for the federal bureaucracy.
Public remarks
“The stark reality in America is that we are in the late stages of a complete Marxist takeover of the country.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought's political characterization of the United States under the Biden administration.
Center for Renewing America conference
“We have blown far past the target.”
— Russell Vought
December 1, 2025   •   Vought said the administration had exceeded Trump's stated 10-to-1 deregulation target.
White House / OMB
“All of the action is in the fourth-branch agencies.”
— Russell Vought
June 1, 2024   •   Vought used "fourth branch" as a critical description of administrative agencies he believed exercised excessive policymaking authority.
Steve Bannon's War Room / RealClearPolitics transcript
“He is running against the brand.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought was discussing Trump's public distancing from Project 2025 and argued that Trump was objecting to its branding rather than necessarily its personnel or ideas.
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover video
“We have a whole political class that's afraid of confrontation.”
— Russell Vought
June 1, 2024   •   Vought criticized Washington politicians he believed were unwilling to aggressively challenge existing institutions.
Steve Bannon's War Room / RealClearPolitics transcript
“They have aimed it at us.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought's characterization of government institutions and conservative political opponents.
Center for Renewing America conference
“The American people deserve accountability.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought discussing executive-branch management during his confirmation process.
Senate Budget Committee
“We believe in an energetic executive.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought describing his constitutional philosophy.
Public remarks
“The whole field of possibilities has been whittled down.”
— Russell Vought
June 1, 2024   •   Vought argued that conventional political thinking had unnecessarily limited the options available to conservative policymakers.
Steve Bannon's War Room / RealClearPolitics transcript
“The phrasing is too accurate to run away from the term.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought explaining why he was willing to use the term Christian nationalism.
Public remarks
“I think you have to rehabilitate Christian nationalism.”
— Russell Vought
July 1, 2024   •   Vought discussing Christian nationalism with undercover reporters.
Centre for Climate Reporting undercover recording
“I think it's the Department of Critical Race Theory.”
— Russell Vought
October 3, 2026   •   Vought's characterization of the Department of Education.
Public remarks